Scarlett Fever
by Incubabe
Summary: (My 1st SeaQuest fic) Lucas gets a distress call from an ex-girlf and the SeaQuest rushes to help - but what changes will she bring with her? *COMPLETE*
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me, except The Wilde and her crew.

Author's Note: This fic is completely out of the context of the SeaQuest series'. This is my first SeaQuest fic so minimum flames please!!

Chapter One

The Wilde was at a complete standstill and miles from its destination, it had been that way for over an hour. The research submarine had been built especially for its current mission and the small crew had been handpicked by the Ecological Foundation for their expertise in their specific areas but nobody on board had any idea what was happening or what they could do to fix the problem. The Wilde was dead in the water and as far as anybody could tell, there was absolutely no reason for it.

Scarlett stared blankly at the screens and dials and gauges of the navigation station but nothing was registering. Kyle's words were making sense but they didn't seem to be sinking in properly, to some extent she was still convinced that The Wilde could get back underway. When she had been approached to head a scientific team aboard a research submarine she had not really been enthusiastic about the idea, two months away from land was not her idea of fun but the Foundation needed her talent aboard and she certainly could not afford to refuse the money they were offering her for the position.

"Kyle, I don't get it. Just tell me in simple terms what's going on," she said, snapping herself out of her fleeting haze and listening intently.

"The engines are dead; completely and utterly dead. I've been down there to take a look but there's nothing we can do, nothing I can see anyway,"

"Can't Tom or Mona take a look? It's their job to fix all that technical stuff, it's not like any of us know what 's going on down there and even if we did, we couldn't fix it," she sighed.

"I know but Tom's been down there for over an hour and he can't work it out, he hasn't even got a clue where to start. We're stuck here, Tom's reported that the navigation and propulsion systems are totally shot but other than that, we're working blind," said Kyle. Scarlett sighed heavily and collapsed into her chair, running a trembling hand through her long red hair. She groaned and threw her arms up in despair, hoping that Kyle had an idea but both of them were silent.

"Okay, what now? What the hell are we supposed to do?" she said, finally taking charge of the situation. "Base control are gonna wanna know what happened to us, right? We should call them first and see what they advise,"

"Scarlett, Rich has been trying to contact base control since we lost propulsion, they're ignoring us," started Kyle, Scarlett covered her face with her hands, not wanting to have confirmed what she had already assumed. Searches for new forms of energy were always in danger of being attacked by larger companies, usually the oil giants who had stolen their supply from the oceans. Despite her initial reluctance, she had been so excited when she heard about the mission, the new geyser that had sprung up beneath the waves; the gas it was producing was non-toxic and highly saturated with electrical charge from the Earth itself. It was the safest energy source that had ever been discovered and she had been chosen to head the team investigating its liability for supply. The idea that one of the large companies wanted her work erased was not improbable, neither was the idea that they had paid the Foundation a large sum of money to conveniently forget about The Wilde and her crew until it was too late. "Mona's convinced this was an inside job. Whoever got to the engines knew exactly what to take out to leave us stranded in the middle of the ocean with nowhere to go,"

"This is a total nightmare," groaned Scarlett. "Okay, I guess we should put out some kind of general distress call and hope someone's close enough to hear it. We should also send up the distress beacon or are we too deep?"

"Scarlett, calm down. We've got plenty of time before our situation becomes critical," frowned Kyle.

"I know that but I don't want to sit around waiting for it to get critical, if we're not going anywhere then I want off this sub now,"

"I'll organise a distress call but we do have one more option before we go that far," he said. Scarlett raised her eyebrows at the suggestion but something in Kyle's voice told her that she wasn't going to like it; she looked up at him expectantly. "Well, I don't want to come off as presumptuous or anything but doesn't your ex-boyfriend serve on a sub? I mean, they left the docks about the same time we did, maybe they're still in the area,"

"We didn't exactly part on the best of terms, Kyle, he'd probably enjoy the fact that I needed his help. Besides, I haven't spoken to him in over a month," she sighed but the look on Kyle's face told her how trivial her words sounded. They needed help and if that meant asking an old boyfriend then she would just have to bite the bullet and make the call. "I suppose I could check where he is,"

"Excellent," grinned Kyle, Scarlett smiled back and nodded before leaving him to study the bridge controls again. She headed for her quarters and slammed the door shut behind her, she was absolutely furious at the idea of the Ecological Foundation being bought out. She couldn't believe that they had dared to put a price on their heads; they were the best scientists in the Foundation and they were killing them for cash; it was utterly mercenary.

She collapsed into her comfortable chair that sat in front of her desk and reached out for the comm-pad. She moved her paperwork aside and sat with her hand resting over the keypad and her mind racing through all the different things they had said to each other on their last night together; she was going to have to make the call she had been avoiding for weeks. Her hands instinctively moved to cradle her stomach, it had only been eleven weeks so far and she wasn't even starting to show yet. She knew that half of the reason she was dreading the call was the same reason she had failed to call him for the past month; she was going to have to tell him he was going to be a father and she was terrified of his reaction. She had weighed up the pros and cons of letting him know but she wasn't the kind of person who could lie about something so important. With a deep breath, she selected a secure line, hearing the low frequency buzz as the link waited for the numbers to be input. She tapped in the comm frequency of his submarine followed by his identification number. She waited patiently for the video screen to flicker into life and his face to appear but there was nothing, she was about to hit the cancellation button when the blank screen became an empty bedroom.

"Hello?" called a voice. Scarlett frowned as she waited for him to move into the view of the vid-screen. There was a pause as he moved into view and looked up to see who had called him. She smiled at the recognition in his eyes and the smile that played on his lips as he said, "Scarlett?"

"Hey Lucas, surprise!"


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

"Wow, I really wasn't expecting it to be you," smiled Lucas, pushing his hair back from his face, the shock evident in his eyes. Scarlett smiled; she hated the fact that despite their separation he still managed to make her heart skip a beat with a smile. She hated the fact that despite all their best intentions, she never really wanted them to split up but more than anything; she hated the fact that he still looked good and she felt frumpy and unattractive.

"I bet you weren't," she grinned. "It's been a while, how are you?"

"Pretty good. I'm actually starting to get used to life underwater, I don't even miss the land anymore. What about you?"

"I'm good, I got my own research sub from the Foundation,"

"That's amazing. Congratulations,"

"Thanks. Look, Lucas, I really need your help," she sighed, Lucas looked concerned and moved closer to the vid-screen as if being near it would bring him closer to her. "Our engines are shot, we're dead in the water and it looks like sabotage. Is SeaQuest anywhere near our co-ordinates?"

"Let me check," he said, pressing a few buttons on his comm-pad and tracing the link. "Yeah, not too far. Maybe a few hours or so, I don't know. What's really going on, Scarlett?"

"The Wilde was built to record data from a new geyser at Rachin Plateau, we were supposed to test its energy output for supply but it looks like someone really didn't want us out here," said Scarlett. "Do you think the Captain would mind a little recovery mission?"

"Don't worry, I'll talk to him and get back to you as soon as I can," he smiled, Scarlett sighed with relief and nodded. Lucas terminated the link and she was left alone in her quarters again. She was happy that the conversation had gone so well, she was worried she would revert to that spoilt, whiny, selfish teenager that Lucas had hated but they were adults now, of course they could hold an adult conversation. She leaned back and stretched her arms out above her, all she had to do now was wait for Lucas to talk to Captain Bridger and The Wilde would be safe again.

Lucas stared at the vid-screen displaying the UEO insignia that just a second before had been the face of his ex-girlfriend. She looked different, her hair had grown longer and she had looked ashen and pale, her dark eyes had advertised her lack of sleep. She looked worried and not just about the threat to her mission. He reached out across his disorganized workstation and grabbed his comm-link.

"Captain, can I see you for a minute?" he asked into it. There was a buzz of static before the reply.

"On my way, Lucas,"

Lucas had no doubt in his mind that Bridger would help him; he knew the importance of the research and the new submarine. The captain had a predilection towards the scientific and Lucas knew he would be horrified at the thought of a sabotage operation on a science vessel. The metallic knock announced Bridger's arrival and Lucas pulled open the door.

"What can I do for you, Mr Wolenczak?"

"Captain, I got a call from Scarlett. She's heading a research mission at Rachin Plateau but her sub's been sabotaged. Her and the crew need help," reported Lucas.

"I presume we're talking about Scarlett, your ex-girlfriend?"

"Well… yeah, but that doesn't mean she doesn't need help. I checked the co-ordinates and we're only a few hours away, the crew need to be recovered. You can talk to her yourself, I've got her comm-frequency," he said, Bridger nodded and Lucas quickly tapped in the number. Scarlett's face appeared almost immediately, she had been waiting on the call and wanted this sorted out as soon as possible.

"Captain Bridger," she smiled. "It's good to see you again, Sir,"

"I understand you're a captain yourself now?"

"Not in any military sense but I guess so. Has Lucas informed you of our situation?" she asked, easily slipping into the formal language of the military, she had been taught how to conduct herself with high-ranking military personnel by her father.

"Briefly, Miss Rice. Why don't you tell me everything?"

"I'm aboard a research sub, The Wilde and we were heading for Rachin Plateau to analyse a new geyser and test its energy supply liability but our navigation and propulsion systems shut down before we reached our destination. We are at a total standstill and have no way of moving from our present location. We have a month's supplies available but the engineering crew have informed me that there is no way to rectify the problem with our on-board tools. The Ecological Foundation is ignoring our calls and my crew believe that we were sabotaged before we even left the docks,"

"Okay, Miss Rice. We'll be there as soon as we can and I'll contact the Foundation in the meantime, I'd like to have a word with them. It was good to see you, Scarlett," he said stiffly and left the room, giving Lucas a meaningful look on his way out. Lucas understood that he was to report to the bridge as soon as he had said 'goodbye' to Scarlett.

"Thank you, Lucas,"

"No problem, I guess I'll be seeing you in a couple of hours," he smiled. "You look really different by the way,"

"I guess a lot changes in a month, you still look the same. Your hair's grown a bit though… I like it," she smiled; Lucas instinctively moved to push his hair back. "I've got something to tell you but I want to wait until I see you, okay?" Lucas frowned with frustration had having to wait.

"You always were a tease,"

"And you were always a flirt. I'll see you soon, Lucas," she smiled. Lucas smiled and pushed the cancellation button, watching Scarlett's smile fade to black.

Scarlett left her quarters and headed for the bridge where she had left Kyle to stare blankly at the screens, unable to do anything and feeling completely useless. He looked up as he heard her approach and knew from the considerable grin on her face that the call had been a success.

"Well?" he asked, thirsty for the details.

"Well, I spoke to Nathan Bridger," she beamed, Kyle's eyes widened at the name, Bridger's name was renowned throughout the military and scientific community. "He's coming for us, he should be here in a few hours,"

"Excellent, no more worries then," smiled Kyle. "How did it go with the ex?"

"Really good actually, I thought he'd still be mad at me or something but he was really cool," she smirked. "We actually managed to talk without screaming and throwing things,"

"That would've been difficult over the comm. What happened between you two anyway? I always thought you were happy,"

"I was," sighed Scarlett, sitting down at the helm and turning to face Kyle. "I was just a bit of a wild child, never wanted to settle down or anything. It's a common affliction among geniuses; they constantly rebel. Anyway, I was a total bitch to Lucas and eventually he got sick of chasing me down,"

"Well, you'll have to curb your wild antics now you're gonna be a mother,"

"Thanks for that newsflash, I do know!" said Scarlett sarcastically. Kyle stuck his tongue out at her and ruffled her hair as he walked past her.

"I'm gonna tell the gang downstairs. I think the idea of not working for the next few hours will be most appealing,"

"Kyle," said Scarlett, Kyle turned to face her. "Do you think Bridger will let us use the SeaQuest to analyse the geyser?"

"Maybe, he's a bit of an explorer. I'm sure he'd be up for it," he shrugged before disappearing through the door and down the ladder.

Scarlett turned back to the panel and flicked a switch at the helm, the noise coming from the front of the bridge was loud and metallic but Scarlett smiled as the metallic plates moved back to reveal a vast screen showing what was right outside the submarine. She sat back and sighed, feeling the calm of the ocean as she watched the fish dance about. 


	3. Chapter Three

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone for their reviews. Cadi, I know there doesn't seem to be a lot of the original cast at the moment but I'm a sucker for setting the scene properly. Don't worry, they will all be making an appearance soon enough.

Chapter Three

Scarlett didn't realise how tired she had been until Kyle woke her up with the news that a SeaQuest shuttle pod was about to dock with The Wilde. She nodded in acknowledgement before wiping away any trace of sleep from her eyes and smoothing her plain white shirt down. Flicking the switch to close the main viewer, she turned and followed Kyle from the bridge down to the docking area.

She took a few deep breaths before nodding to Kyle, giving the order to open to doors to the shuttle docking area. She couldn't remember ever feeling so nervous, especially over something as trivial as seeing an old boyfriend again. She brushed her hair back from her face and hoped she didn't look as pale and tired as she felt, she also hoped that Captain Bridger wouldn't be able to tell she was pregnant. It was something that he was bound to pick up on straight away and she didn't want the news to overwhelm their first meeting in months. The doors hissed open and SeaQuest personnel began to board The Wilde; Scarlett smiled as she saw Captain Bridger step onto her ship and start walking towards her.

"Scarlett," he smiled, taking her hand. She vaguely recognised the two men flanking him; one was definitely Jonathon Ford, she remembered meeting him at a party once. "It's good to see you properly,"

"You too, Captain; I'm so glad you're here. Feel free to look over the ship, we've done all we can for now so she's all yours," smiled Scarlett, deliberately keeping all of her attention on Bridger and ignoring the tall blonde man who had just stepped into the room.

"I think I will take a quick look around," he said, Commander Ford and the other man followed him as Kyle began a tour of the purpose built submarine.

Scarlett swallowed hard and looked across at Lucas; he was leaning against the sealed docking doors with his eyes locked on her. She felt flushed and embarrassed but she quickly swallowed it back. He walked across to her in silence; she couldn't believe she had forgotten how tall he was, his hair looked even longer than it had done over the vid-screen and he was definitely still gorgeous enough to make her feel weak at the knees.

"How are you?" he asked, looking her over but not in an appraising way. He hadn't seen her in over a month and he couldn't believe how much she had changed in that time; her hair and her clothes and her appearance. She had changed from the army brat that drove him mad into a captain of her own vessel; she had grown into the role of a respected scientist.

"I'm fine," she smiled, noticing his furtive glances. "Lucas, thank you for coming. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't,"

"I doubt that but you're welcome anyway," he smiled. "I bet you can't wait to get out of here, it must be frustrating knowing you can't do anything,"

"You have no idea. I just hate the fact that I won't get to see the geyser, it could've been the answer to every conservationist's dream,"

"I'm sure Captain Bridger will lend you a shuttle for some recon or something,"

"I know, he's such a kind man but there's so much technology on board here. It just pisses me off that the Foundation could fold so easily," she sighed.

"Well, I'm sure we'll find out what happened soon enough," he said, effectively ending the conversation. Scarlett was glad; she didn't even want to think about what had happened. "I like this whole hippie scientist thing you've got going on, it looks good,"

"Well, thank you," she laughed, holding out her baggy white cheesecloth shirt. "I got this from the market at Zone Five,"

"We had some leave there a while back, it was nice," he said.

They stood opposite each other in silence, both of them avoiding the other's gaze. Scarlett never thought that things could get so awkward between them but she had obviously been wrong. Neither of them could say anything, they knew how much they both hated small talk but neither of them could work up the courage to say what needed to be said. Scarlett looked up at him and smiled, his crystalline blue eyes searching hers as she reached out and stroked his long blonde hair.

"I like it this long," she said softly. "You look like a rock star or something,"

"Why did you run away, Scarlett?" he asked, taking her hand in his. Scarlett looked nervously around; Bridger could walk in on them at any moment. "After I ended it, we were supposed to meet and talk but you never showed up,"

"I know, I'm sorry, I just freaked out. I knew I was going to lose you," she whispered. Lucas looked down at her and brushed a stray curl from her face before leaning in and kissing her tenderly. Scarlett reached her arms up around his neck and pulled him closer, all fears of being discovered flying away as they kissed hungrily over the console. The feeling of familiarity and comfort washed over Lucas, he had missed her so much. He pulled back suddenly, Scarlett was breathless and beautiful.

"I never should've let you go," he said.

"Oh God, Lucas," sighed Scarlett, Lucas frowned at her questioningly. "You can't start saying stuff like that now. I need to talk to you first,"

"When you said you wanted to talk, I figured you felt the same way I did. I thought you wanted to get back together,"

"I do, Lucas but it's not that simple," she sighed. "I'm pregnant,"

He stared at her blankly, she hadn't meant for it to come out so blunt and harsh and stark but there it was. Lucas was silent; he just stood there and looked at her, his eyes flicking from her face to her waist and back again. He reached out a tentative hand and placed it on her stomach, a strange smile slowly growing on his face. It was all Scarlett had needed, Lucas hadn't freaked out or shouted at her or anything, he was smiling.

"Oh my God," he whispered, almost to himself. "Are you… I mean… it is mine?"

"Of course it's yours," Scarlett laughed. "Almost twelve weeks now. I am really sorry about everything I did,"

"I know, I just can't believe this. It's fantastic," he smiled and threw his arms around her. They stood in the middle of the docking bay, hugging each other tightly until Kyle announced their return with a loud cough. Lucas and Scarlett sprang apart before Captain Bridger and Commander Ford walked back into the room.

"Well, Scarlett, I think I agree with your crew. The damage to the engines appears to be deliberate but I think we can sort it out eventually. We'll take you and the crew back to SeaQuest and I'll send some of my engineers across with the necessary tools to fix her," said Bridger. Scarlett ran across the room and grabbed Bridger's hand, shaking it violently.

"Thank you so much, Sir. Thank you," she beamed.

"In the meantime, Mr Morris here as requested the use of the SeaQuest to explore the geyser," announced Bridger, Scarlett looked at Kyle in disbelief but Kyle avoided her glare. "I think that would be fine, shall we go?"

"Thank you again, Sir," said Scarlett. "You have been so good to us,"

"Well, Miss Rice, what kind of explorer would I be if I didn't agree to such a small request? Come on; let's get back to SeaQuest,"

Scarlett looked at Lucas and smiled before opening the docking bay doors and ensuring her entire crew at entered the shuttle before closing the doors behind her and entering it herself. She was on her way to the SeaQuest and on her way to Rachin Plateau; she'd be able to complete her mission after all and having Lucas alongside her was just a bonus. She just hoped that whoever had paid the Foundation to keep her away from the Rachin Plateau had enough sense not to come up against the SeaQuest and her crew.


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Scarlett sat on Lucas' tiny bed and looked around the room, smiling to herself at his ever-growing collection of electronic gadgets that he would later take apart to make something new. There was nothing of himself in the room; no belated birthday cards from his absent father, no gifts from his estranged family, no old letters from her or any other lover. The door to the room swung open and Lucas walked in carrying a mug of hot chocolate for Scarlett, she thanked him and accepted the mug; drowning in the taste that she been missing for so long.

"So," he started. "I guess we need to talk about what we're going to do,"

"Can it wait?" asked Scarlett. "I want to look over what we brought back from The Wilde; see what I can do with it before we reach the plateau,"

She smiled at Lucas who nodded but looked obviously hurt by her instant rebuff of his attempt to discuss the baby. She had been so used to making her own decisions about the pregnancy that she never imagined Lucas would have anything to add. He sat beside her on the bed but remained awkward, his position tense and his eyes wandering the room, never fixing on anything for too long.

"I'm sorry, Lucas," she sighed. "We can talk about it if you want to,"

"I didn't mean to push you; I just meant that we need to discuss things about us. It was different when you were doing this alone but you're not anymore,"

"I know, it's just weird. To be honest, I didn't think you would ever want anything to do with me after the way I treated you, I'd kind of settled into the idea of being a single mother," shrugged Scarlett, placing the empty mug on the bedside table. "I want us to agree everything about the baby together,"

"Me too," he smiled, leaning forward and kissing her cheek. He placed a gentle hand on her stomach and grinned widely, he was going to be a father. He hadn't even stopped to consider how it would affect his life or if he was too young to be a father or how the crew would react, none of that seemed to matter to him at all.

"I really should check on the equipment," smiled Scarlett, she didn't want to abandon Lucas in the midst of their important discussion but she was still riled up at the idea of sabotage and wanted to get underway on her mission as soon as possible. "Do you want to come with me?"

"It's okay; I have stuff to do round here. The captain might want to assist you; I'll get him to meet you in the lab,"

"Thanks," she grinned and pulled open the heavy door, disappearing into the corridor.

Scarlett headed straight for the science lab without as much as a wrong turn. She knew her way around the SeaQuest almost as well as those who had lived aboard for the past year, her obsession with the already legendary submarine and Lucas' bizarre penchant for tours had served her well. Her small crew were already settled in the lab; Kyle was looking over the rescued equipment while Rich, Tom and Mona ensured it was all intact after the transportation. Various SeaQuest science personnel were lending a hand and Scarlett sighed with relief at the thought of everything being dealt with so quickly. Kyle looked up from one of the mineral analysis machines and walked over to greet her.

"Everything looks fine, how are you and lover boy?" he grinned; Scarlett rolled her eyes at Kyle's unstoppable quest for gossip and nodded. "Have you told him about Junior?"

"He's fine about it. He's been great actually, I was expecting a fight or something" she smiled, Kyle was about to reply when the doors opened behind them and Captain Bridger walked in.

"How's it coming along, Miss Rice?" he asked, casting an appraising eye over The Wilde's equipment. Scarlett turned to Rich and raised an eyebrow, begging him to answer for her.

"The equipment's sound, Sir," said Rich, smiling at Scarlett who looked even more relieved. "Once it's been attached to SeaQuest's computer system, the analysers will do the rest,"

"We're almost at the Rachin Plateau, I'd estimate another forty minutes. Do you need anything else, Scarlett?"

"No, Sir. I just need to brief your science team on the equipment usage and ensure it's set up correctly,"

"Well, the resources of the SeaQuest are at your disposal, use whatever you need," smiled Bridger.

"Thank you, Sir. Is it possible to see you for a moment after I'm finished here?" asked Scarlett, Bridger nodded and left the room.

Scarlett sighed loudly to herself and turned to face her own crew as well as the science team, this was the part she hated most of all. Just because the Ecological Foundation had seen fit to grant her captaincy of The Wilde did not mean she had the leadership skills of the role. She wanted so badly to delegate the responsibility to Kyle but she knew she had to take it herself. She cleared her throat and addressed the room, giving instructions on the use of the equipment and how to monitor the electrical charge of the geyser once the research was underway.

After giving her speech, she left Kyle to give the actual details and a demonstration of the machinery while she went to find Bridger; he needed to be made aware of just how important Rachin Plateau was to her as well as the rest of the world. She was on her way to his office when she bumped into a young Spanish officer who she hadn't seen since her last party in Miami.

"Miguel! Oh my God, how are you?" she squealed, throwing her arms around him excitedly, Ortiz accepted the hug awkwardly.

"I'm fine, Scarlett. It's good to see you again, have you seen Tim yet?" he smiled, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"No, why?"

"He's desperate to catch up with you. I think he's designed some new water purifier or something, I think I'll leave it to him to explain it all," he laughed.

"Well, I've gotta see the captain but I'll come and find you and Tim afterwards, I've got loads to tell you about,"

"Okay, I'll be around. See you later, Scarlett," he smiled, walking off down the corridor and leaving Scarlett to find Captain Bridger.

"Come in," called Bridger from inside the room. Scarlett heaved open the metal door and stepped inside, she hadn't been in this room for so long and a stream of memories poured over her as she did. "Miss Rice, sit down,"

"Thank you for all your help, Captain," she smiled as she sat opposite Bridger at his table.

"It's quite alright. I was able to contact the Ecological Foundation. They denied all knowledge of ignoring your transmissions and were quite grateful that we had picked you up," he reported, Scarlett furrowed her brow as she thought about the information.

"I don't know, Captain. I don't want to think that the Foundation would be capable of this kind of sabotage but with the amount of money involved; who wouldn't be tempted?"

"Enough of the official line. What exactly is at Rachin Plateau, Scarlett?"

"Okay, about a month ago a new underwater geyser sprung up at Rachin. The gas that the geyser is producing is non-toxic and highly saturated with electrical charge with I believe is from the Earth itself,"

"A natural energy resource, I assume this would be safer than oil?"

"Exactly, that's why the Ecological Foundation was so desperate to get people out there. They wanted to know exactly what we could do to harness the electricity and distribute it. But I think they've been paid off by the oil companies, oil generates a lot of money and this electricity source would remove their power,"

Bridger was about to reply when the SeaQuest began to shake, Bridger grabbed his communicator from the desk while Scarlett looked around, confused as to what was going on.

"Bridge, report," he ordered, there was a buzz of static before the reply. Scarlett recognised Commander Ford's voice but not the air of agitation in it.

"We're under attack, Sir," he reported. Bridger looked at Scarlett and ran out of the room, the look at told her everything. Whoever had disabled The Wilde was still after her and now they were here for her.


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

The bridge crew were already at red alert by the time Bridger arrived, Commander Ford had managed to out-manoeuvre a second torpedo attack but their attacker was so small and fast it was difficult for the SeaQuest to lock on their own torpedoes.

"Report, Commander," said Bridger sternly as he reached Ford's side.

"A small Beta-5 sub emerged from a small cavern and fired. We didn't see the torpedo until it was too late; we have attempted to lock on to the sub's engines but it's moving too fast. It keeps out-manoeuvring the tracking signature,"

"Try and avoid the fuel cells, I want that thing disabled not destroyed," ordered Bridger. Ford relayed the orders to weapons control and walked across the bridge to where Ortiz had returned to his position; he pointed out on screen how fast the sub was moving but that it was following a specific pattern.

"I can't get WSKRS any closer, Sir," reported Ortiz. "But I don't think that thing's manned. It seems to be moving about in a set pattern, almost as if it's been programmed to escape the tracking,"

"Can you try and contact the craft, Mr O'Neil?" asked Bridger, Tim nodded and began to tap on his console, pressing his headset closer to his ear.

"There's no reply, Sir," he conveyed. "If anyone's on-board, they're ignoring us,"

"I don't want that thing brought down unless we can be sure she's empty," said Bridger, peering more closely at the WSKRS picture and trying to ascertain if it really could be an automated vessel.

"Sir, she's coming around and entering an attack formation," reported Ford.

"Fine, load all tubes and fire one and two," ordered Bridger. "I don't want their fuel cells hit, that's an order. If there's anyone onboard, maybe they'll send a distress call,"

Ford nodded to the helm and two electro-static torpedoes was released; the small submarine attempted to escape but the torpedo was locked and shortly found its target. SeaQuest shook softly with the force of the explosion, Ortiz quickly brought WSKRS around to ensure the submarine had not been destroyed but there was no sign of it; no vessel at all but no debris either. He frowned and checked again, WSKRS moved about in the water checking from every angle but there was nothing left.

"Sir, I can't find the vessel. It appears to have disappeared," reported Ortiz, Bridger joined him at his station and looked at the WSKRS view with a frown.

"Check again and keep me in the loop, I need to check something," he said quickly, turning and walking swiftly from the room, heading back towards his office.

Scarlett was still sitting at the table, her hands folded neatly on the top as she waited for the Captain to return, hoping that the attack hadn't been anything to do with her or The Wilde. Captain Bridger opened the door swiftly and strode into the room, allowing it to slam shut behind him. He sat down opposite her at the table and stared at her, Scarlett hated the official look in his eyes but knew that above all else, he was Captain of this vessel and he had to remain authoritative.

"Scarlett, I have to ask, do you think that whoever paid for your sabotage could have found out about your crew being aboard this ship?"

"It's possible. I mean, the oil companies have unlimited resources, they could afford to do anything they want to,"

"The ship that attacked us looked unmanned, as if it had been programmed to attack us," said Bridger, Scarlett sat back in her chair and pressed her finger to her lips, her brow furrowed as she thought back.

"One of the oil companies also has a sideline in making subs to order, an automatic pilot would be easy to install in a normal one man sub," she said. "I just can't remember the name,"

"Is it Huntleigh? Giles Huntleigh?" asked Bridger, recognition coming to his eyes as he realised who Scarlett had been talking about.

"Yeah, Huntleigh Enterprises, he's got a number of different corporations across the world. Not a very nice man,"

"Do you think he would have the audacity to first sabotage your vessel and then attack the SeaQuest? Does he really want Rachin ignored that much?" asked Bridger. "If he got caught, he would have a lot to answer to,"

"He's very arrogant, Captain. I don't think the notion of getting caught would have entered his mind. That geyser would be one of the only direct threats to his empire; he'd pay millions if he thought he could stop us,"

"Well, I don't think that's going to happen. I'm gonna try and get in touch with the Ecological Foundation and find out as much as I can about their dealing with Huntleigh,"

"I don't think they'll admit it, Sir," said Scarlett, standing to leave the room. Bridger didn't reply but just smiled enigmatically and turned to face his communications viewer. Scarlett frowned and left his office, walking off in search of Lucas.

Scarlett found Lucas talking with Tim O'Neil near the lab; they were both stroking Darwin as they chatted; it was if they were on autopilot. Neither of them were aware of what they were doing yet both were stroking rhythmically, avoiding each other's hand with their regularity. She smiled and walked down the steps to join them; stopping and sitting on the last step next to Lucas and looking up at Tim.

"I thought you'd be on the bridge," she said, Lucas reached down and ran his fingers through her hair without thinking before returning his attention to Darwin, Tim stood up to hug Scarlett briefly.

"I was but I was due a break, I've been sitting in that chair all morning," he said into her neck. She broke away and sat back down next to Lucas. "I've missed you loads. Miguel said he'd seen you but I didn't want to believe him 'til I saw you myself. How've you been?"

"You only missed me 'cause no-one else'll put up with your mad ideas!" she laughed. "I've been fine, did Lucas tell you yet?" She smiled excitedly; Tim looked at Lucas in confusion then back up to Scarlett, shaking his head. She reached down and took Lucas' free hand as if needing the extra help to get the words out. "We're having a baby," Tim looked at Lucas and then back to Scarlett again.

"Oh my God, that's amazing. Congratulations," he said, his smile spreading. He stood up and ushered Scarlett into his arms once more. "That is great news,"

"Thanks, man," said Lucas, shaking Tim's hand. Scarlett grinned, if every member of the crew had Tim's reaction then there was nothing for either of them to worry about. "Did the Captain tell you what was going on?"

"Yeah, he thinks it was Giles Huntleigh who sent the sub, can you believe it? I mean, I know the guy's a little obsessed when it comes to stuff like this but going up against something as big as SeaQuest is ridiculous. Do you really think he would do it?" she said, the doubt evident in her voice.

"I think Giles Huntleigh is capable of anything," said Lucas, his voice grave and low. "I don't think he's a man you want to mess with, whether SeaQuest is involved or not," He took Scarlett's hand in his and she knew she wasn't going to like what was coming next. "Do you think it's safe for you to be here?"

"Lucas, I am not the kind of person who can just run away the second things get tough. This mission is too important; I will not be forced out by some ghost of a man too scared to get his hands dirty," she said, getting angrier. Tim looked uncomfortable, he didn't particularly want to be caught in the middle of their argument but he couldn't announce his departure either. "Do you think I should leave? Do you really think I should just give up on Rachin because of this?"

"I think that you need to stop thinking about your career and start thinking about your family," he snapped. "I love you, I want you to be safe but this is hardly the best atmosphere for you and the baby. You're stressed out, we're getting attacked and you're working too hard,"

"This is ridiculous. I have been working non-stop for two months and had no trouble whatsoever. The baby is fine, I am fine, just let me do my job," she said. "All I want to do is finish this damn job and then I can relax and stay off boats and be the devoted mother but right now, this is too damn important for me to just give up on. I cannot believe that you would think I could do that," She stood up and ran from the room; Lucas watched her go and groaned at his lack of diplomacy, he definitely could have handled that better. Tim sat there in silence, not really knowing what he could say to make Lucas feel any better; especially when he hadn't really wanted to hear any of it in the first place. Lucas looked up at him and sighed.

"Redheads, right?" he laughed weakly. "Always got a temper," Tim nodded and smiled just as weakly as Lucas had before Lucas got up and ran from the room; he had to find Scarlett and sort his mess out.


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Scarlett didn't really know what she had planned to do after running out on Lucas, she hadn't meant to lose her temper so spectacularly but she had been infuriated that Lucas could think she would just give up on such an important mission. She wanted to talk to Miguel, he had been such a good friend to her when she and Lucas had split up and he always gave advice when she needed it but she knew he would be on the bridge, especially after the attack. She didn't really know anyone else aboard the SeaQuest; Miguel, Tim, Jonathon and Bridger, she didn't know where to go. She didn't want to talk to Kyle about it; she wanted to talk to someone who knew Lucas. As she rounded the corner, Captain Bridger was walking towards her, they both stopped awkwardly in the corridor.

"I was just on my way to find you, Miss Rice," he said. "Let's go to my quarters, I've got quite a lot to tell you about," Scarlett nodded and followed him back to his room. Right now, she couldn't care less about the attack, her mind was still on her fight with Lucas and she now felt doubly guilty for being so vocal in front of Tim.

Bridger held open the door for her and she entered silently, sitting at the desk she had only left an hour or so earlier. He closed the door and sat opposite her again; she had started to feel sick and hoped she wasn't going to start crying on the Captain about her relationship problems, she had hoped she would be stronger than that.

"Well, Mr Ortiz was unable to find any sign of the sub so we've continued on course and we should be arriving at Rachin Plateau in less than fifteen minutes," Scarlett sighed with relief at the news, she so desperately wanted this nightmare over. "The Ecological Foundation has admitted to accepting donations from Huntleigh Enterprises but deny any idea of these donations being a payment for services rendered,"

"They are so weak," she growled, her anger refusing to subside now. "How could they do this to us? This is one of the most important discoveries ever made; especially in the field of ecology, this is just unbelievable,"

"I know it must be infuriating for you, Scarlett but we're almost at the Plateau, you can complete your work no matter what," smiled Bridger, Scarlett attempted to smile back but she was too worked up, she could almost feel her hormones going into overdrive as she burst into tears and hid her face behind her hands. Bridger frowned and walked around the table to comfort her, putting a fatherly arm around her shoulder. Scarlett wiped her face with her hands and sniffed the stray tears away.

"I'm sorry, Sir," she whispered, feeling a little embarrassed. "I didn't mean to cry on you, I'm just feeling a little emotional right now,"

"Scarlett, I know that you and I aren't exactly close but I'm always here for anyone who needs help while they're aboard SeaQuest; even if it's just a shoulder to lean on. Do you want to talk about it?"

"I… I mean, Lucas…" she started, feeling a little embarrassed. "I don't know how to say this; I'm pregnant, I'm three months pregnant and Lucas thinks I'm putting my work before the baby but it's not true. I need to get this job over with before I start settling down, my work is very important to me but that doesn't mean that I'm not looking after myself and the baby," She knew she was babbling now but it seemed to be the only way she could get it all out, Bridger was listening politely despite the news of Lucas' impending fatherhood reeling around his head. "And I know he's just worried about me and the baby but I got so mad at him and I feel so awful about it. Why can't he see that I can't just leave the project when we're so close to finishing? I wish he understood what I'm going through but I just left him without even giving him a chance to understand. God, what's wrong with me?"

"There's nothing wrong with you, Scarlett. It's like you said, you're just feeling a little emotional right now. It's normal to feel like this when you're pregnant," soothed Bridger. "And I'm sure Lucas does understand your feelings about your work; he may be headstrong but he's very understanding underneath all that youthful exuberance,"

"You mean you're not mad at me… at us?" she sniffed, smiling a little.

"Of course not, it's the way of the world," he smiled, she was about to thank him when the intercom clicked on; airing static and then the voice of Commander Ford.

"Captain, we're arrived at the co-ordinates,"

Bridger looked at Scarlett and smiled, she felt a lot better getting it off her chest and now she could finally finish her work and start her normal life that, despite evidence to the contrary, she actually wanted.

"I guess I should get Kyle and everyone ready. I want this done as fast as possible, we don't want another attack while the equipment is out there," said Scarlett, standing up and smoothing down her jeans. "Thank you for listening, Sir. Sorry I was in such a bad mood,"

"Nonsense, it was nothing," smiled Bridger. "Get down to the lab, they need you down there; you need to take charge now,"

"Thank you," said Scarlett and walked out of the room, heading down to the laboratories to find Kyle and the rest of the crew. She just wanted the analysis of the geyser over and done with so life could get back to normal, so she could have a stress-free pregnancy and settle down with Lucas; live the dream, live happily ever after.

It had only taken ten minutes to set up the equipment for the geyser analysis, Scarlett sat at her control panel as the information came filtering through; electrolytes, charge output, current voltage. She couldn't help smiling as she processed each figure and fact; it was actually going to work, there really was going to be a way to safely power the world. She tapped away on her panel, ensuring all the relevant data was being constantly saved to two separate disks. She was so busy working that she hadn't heard the door behind her open.

"How's it looking?" asked Lucas, Scarlett spun around on her chair. Lucas walked towards her and looked over the information; it didn't mean a thing to him but at least he looked as if he knew what he was doing.

"Absolutely amazing," she beamed, completely forgetting the argument she had been so upset over. "There's enough power here to actually work this thing; all we need to do is find a viable coupling to ensure the distribution is safe and we're set. This is the first ever natural energy resource that is safe for the environment and won't ever run out, can you believe that?"

"That is amazing," he said, his voice a little distant, Scarlett frowned and reached out her hand to his. She studied his face with her questioning eyes, Lucas knew what she was doing but he wasn't in the mood. "I'm fine; don't look at me like that,"

"I've known you too long, Lucas. What's up?" she asked, getting up from her chair and walking away from the machine. "Look, leaving my work for you so spill it," Lucas laughed at her; she always managed to make his smile when he was trying so hard to maintain his anger.

"Nothing," he shook his head. "I was just thinking about before, I know how important all this is to you but I don't understand how you could put all of it before the baby," Scarlett frowned and started to answer but he put his hand up in front of her face to stop her. "Please listen. Just because I don't understand it doesn't mean I can't see that it's important to you so just do what you have to do but promise me that you will start taking it easy once you've finished your work here,"

"Lucas, I love you," she grinned, standing on her tip-toes and kissing him lightly. "Once I am finished at this control panel, I am finished until our baby is all growed up, okay?"

"Thank you," he whispered, she smiled and went back to her panel but her smile fell as she saw her monitors. They were all blank, there was no information feeding into the machine, no information being saved to disk. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," she said, running from the room and rushing to the bridge, she ran in to the room without waiting for the Captain's permission. "What the hell is going on?"

"Scarlett, calm down," ordered Bridger, ushering her to where Ortiz was sitting. He pointed at the screen, Scarlett breathed in deeply and sharply, the air catching in the back of her throat as she caught sight of the huge submarine on the screen; armed to the teeth and heading towards SeaQuest.


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Scarlett couldn't breathe, the sight of this massive attacking submarine had made her feel faint, she could feel her legs beginning to buckle beneath her. Captain Bridger placed a hand flat against her back to steady her, she was grateful for it but she still continued to sway slightly. She reached out and grabbed onto the metal railings surrounding Miguel's station, trying to steady herself a little more. She looked again at the ship inching closer and closer to the SeaQuest, she felt sick. It was all her fault, this armed submarine was here for her, her crew, her equipment and maybe even her ship. She didn't look around when Lucas arrived on the bridge, demanding to know what was going on but she felt worse when Bridger explained it to him in official terms.

"Oh God," she murmured, fighting back her tears. "Where's Kyle? Was he out there when they cut the equipment off?" Nobody answered her; nobody knew how to inform her that there had been no word from her best friend and no sign of him anywhere. Their silence was deafening and she knew what it mean, she didn't want to believe it, she was losing everything that mattered to her and all she could do was stand there as it all fell down around her. Still feeling faint, she took a few deep breaths but it didn't help and as she began to fall she could hear Lucas call her name but she couldn't answer. There was nothing but blackness.

Scarlett woke alone in Lucas' bed; there was nobody else in the room and as she roused herself from unconsciousness she could see why. The red lights had been lit in Lucas' quarters as well as across the ship and there were soft shakes as the water around them vibrated with explosions. She sighed deeply and shaking back feelings of fear and doubt, she lifted herself out of bed and headed back out towards the bridge. There was no way that she was staying in bed during this; the SeaQuest was under attack because of her and her mission; she had to be there. She walked along the corridor, holding on to the walls and finding it hard to see in the dim red light but she knew she had to get to the bridge. She had to be among the people that she knew, people she trusted, she needed to know what was going on.

The doors onto the bridge opened and she stepped inside; the air was thick with tension and raised voices as the SeaQuest launched a full-scale counter offensive on their opponent. Nobody noticed her for a while, she sat down next to the small pool that was usually open for Darwin but was now shut tight. Lucas was sitting at a monitor working away furiously when he turned and caught sight of her, he couldn't shout out but he motioned to Bridger who turned and walked across the bridge to her. He held out his hand and helped her to her feet before escorting her to the spare seat next to Tim.

"Stay here," he said quietly. "Darwin found Kyle; the doctors are with him now but he's going to be fine, it was just a small electrical shock. You know you shouldn't be here,"

"I'm sorry, Sir," she sniffed, gaining her resolve as anger took over from her fear and upset. "I needed to be here, I needed to know what was going on," Bridger nodded and left her with Tim, returning to his position in the centre of the room, barking out his orders and reminding her of her father.

"Everything's going to be fine," smiled Tim, placing a comforting hand on her arm. She looked up at him and smiled, at least one of them was optimistic. After seeing how shaken the bridge crew were, she was  more convinced than ever that the mission of The Wilde and her crew was over and they would be lucky to get out of this nightmare alive.

The SeaQuest rocked again with the force of another blast, Scarlett felt as though she were drowning in the sea of a million voices all shouting out reports from their stations with Captain Bridger ring-leading them all. She didn't know how bad things were until Commander Ford reported that they were taking on water on one of the lower decks; they had sealed if off in time but it just made Scarlett feel as if they were more vulnerable now. She looked over at Lucas, he has his headset on and was clearly hard at work in the system computer, his brow was furrowed with exhaustion and concentration. Miguel looked tired but he laboured away at his console, ensuring that he didn't lose sight of the attacking sub. Tim was sending out messages; tapping away into the computer while speaking in a dozen different languages down his headset. Scarlett looked around, people were clearly afraid; there had never been an attack on the SeaQuest like this before, nobody had ever dared.

"Captain?" shouted Scarlett, Captain Bridger nodded to Commander Ford to take over and headed over to crouch down next to Scarlett, she didn't even wait to be asked. "I want Tim to send them a message; tell them that I'm willing to surrender all of our data and the equipment if they call off the attack. I can't be responsible for this, I just can't,"

"Scarlett, there is no way on this earth that I am giving up to Giles Huntleigh," said Bridger, his voice stern and severe. "And I will not let you give up on your mission either; I know how important it is to you. Lucas is working on targeting their engines; it'll all be over in no time,"

"That's what I'm afraid of," she said, choking back the tears that were threatening to push through at any moment. "Please Captain, I don't want put the crew in any more danger, I don't want to put my baby in danger,"

"You won't," he said gravely and stood up, rejoining Commander Ford. Tim looked in astonishment at Scarlett; he couldn't believe she had been willing to give up her work to save SeaQuest. Everyone was staring at the Captain, they had heard the conversation and while they were in disbelief that Scarlett had offered, they were even more disbelieving that the Captain had refused the offer. It was common knowledge that Captain Bridger held his belief in non-violent solutions in the highest regard, always seeking the peaceful way out but here he was; ignoring the peaceful path in favour of attack.

"Captain, I've modified the targeting computer," reported Lucas, still keeping an eye on Scarlett as she allowed her tears to fall silently. He wanted to go to her, to hold her close and tell her that it would be alright but he was needed, he was still a member of the crew now matter what was happening in his private life. "I think we may be able to target specific areas with the plasma torpedoes,"

"Thank you, Mr Wolenczak. Commander, aim for their aft-side engines, I just want to disable her," ordered Bridger, Commander Ford nodded and relayed the command to the weapons control. "Flood torpedo tubes three and four and fire,"

Everyone on the bridge held their breath and waited on Miguel Ortiz, he had his eyes glued to the screens in front of him, particularly the WSKRS monitor. Scarlett had wiped her eyes and turned to Tim; he had one hand to his ear pressing the headset closer. He was listening for the impact but it hadn't come yet, people were starting to murmur amongst themselves, the torpedo should have hit its target by now but there had been no report for Ortiz. Everyone across the ship was waiting with bated breath.

"There's a lot of movement out there," said Tim quietly. "I think they're searching,"

No sooner were the words out of his mouth when a shockwave hit the SeaQuest, shaking her violently from side to side, Scarlett feared she would be flung from her seat but she clung to the sides. Everyone struggled to right themselves after the huge tremor but Captain Bridger rushed forward to Miguel's side.

"Report, Mr Ortiz," he demanded, there were a few seconds while Ortiz attempted to determine the extent of the damage. A smile spread across his face as he reported.

"She's been disabled, Sir. Direct hit to aft-side engines; she's dead in the water," Scarlett breathed a sigh of relief and rushed from Tim to Miguel's side, looking at the monitors and smiling broadly as she realised the threat was over.

"Mr O'Neil, send a message to them. Advise them we will be boarding, we will be armed and we are taking them into custody under the jurisdiction of the UEO," ordered Bridger. "Commander, select a team and get over there," Tim nodded and pressed his headset to his ear, sending the message out along the shortwave frequency. Commander Ford was already leaving the bridge being followed by a handful of officers; Bridger placed a hand on Scarlett's shoulder and with no thought for proper naval protocol, she turned around and threw her arms around him, holding him close in relief and thanks.

"Shouldn't you be hugging him?" he whispered into her ear, casting a glance over his shoulder at Lucas. Scarlett smiled and walked across the bridge to where Lucas had risen from his seat; she ran up the steps and collapsed into his arms. He held her so close he didn't think he would ever be able to let her go, he never imagined that things would get so tense, he never imagined that the life of their child would ever be in danger, he never realised until that moment how much he really loved her.

"I love you," she whispered into his neck, he smiled but didn't reply. He just held her closer; it was all the words he needed.

* Although this sounds like the end, it isn't. There's one more chapter to go!

* And thanks to everyone who's been reading so consistently – your reviews have been so kind so thank you all.  Diana x 


	8. Chapter Eight

A/N – Thanks for all the reviews and in response to the most recent from Squinn and K.Presson – as mentioned in the author's note of Chapter One, this fic is completely out of the context of any SeaQuest series. I noted this as I wanted Lucas to be older yet still have Captain Bridger commanding SeaQuest. Hope that makes sense.

Chapter Eight

Kyle lay back in bed and sighed loudly, the doctors had finally given him the all-clear and deemed him fit enough to leave. He was glad they had stopped flitting around him and finally left him alone; he was still convinced there had been nothing wrong with him aside from a few bumps and bruises. He had regained consciousness shortly before the shockwave had hit the ship and had since been waiting for Scarlett to visit him. The rest of the crew of The Wilde had been and gone with tall tales of what had happened and how the mission was going but it was Scarlett that he wanted to see now.

"Are you harassing the doctors?" she asked as she entered the room, Kyle sat up immediately at the sound of her voice. "Or are you just moaning generally?"

"Very funny, Scarlett," he grinned back. "I almost die for your work and all I get is ridicule and jokes. I'm really hurt," Scarlett laughed and hugged him briefly before jumping up to sit beside him on the bed.

"Well, we're pretty much finished here. We're on our way back to UEO headquarters; Bridger arrested the crew of that other sub and they've all given up Huntleigh's name. He's got to pay this time," said Scarlett, Kyle nodded as he listened attentively. "Sorry you missed all the fun,"

"Yeah, me too. Still, I guess it means I missed out on the work too, never a bad thing," he grinned, Scarlett didn't share his smile. She looked nervous about something but Kyle knew she would spit it out eventually; he didn't need to push her.

"Look, Kyle, I promised Lucas that after all this over I would quit. After I've handed the data over to the Eco Foundation then I'm putting you forward to take over The Wilde, I think you've earned it," Kyle eyed her in wonder. "I want you there if I can't be, okay? You are the only one who can keep those bureaucrats in check as well as I can, I need you there,"

"Oh Scarlett…." he said, he was so stunned that he was almost speechless. "So what are you going to do now?"

"Well, I need to talk to Lucas about it all. Captain Bridger has arranged a party when we get back to base to celebrate the baby and everything; I thought that was quite sweet," she smiled. "But I can't stay underwater with a baby on the way, I'll go mad. But I don't want to drag Lucas away from this place; it's like a home to him,"

"I think Lucas will have something to say about that," said Kyle. "I think he'll have a different idea of home now that you're having his child, things change,"

"I guess so," she sighed, standing up and brushing down her trousers. "I suppose I should go and talk to him,"

Kyle smiled and pushed her gently, urging her to get out and find Lucas. He had never imagined that she would give up her work so easily but things were changing. Scarlett was no longer a focused scientist, she was going to be a mother and that was most important right now. She needed to focus her attention on her baby before going back to her work. He smiled as she walked out of the door, she had changed so much since he had first met her and for some odd reason, he felt quite proud.

Lucas was just opening the door to his quarters when Scarlett turned the corner to face him; he held his hand out as if ushering her in and she grinned, walking ahead of him and sitting down on his bed. He slammed the heavy door shut and sat beside her, placing his hand on top of hers.

"What's going on?" he asked, a bemused smiled playing on his lips.

"I need to talk to you," smiled Scarlett. "We need to decide what's best for the baby," Lucas nodded and shifted his body to face her as she spoke. "I've told Kyle that I want him to take over The Wilde so everyone knows I'm quitting now, but I can't stay here, Lucas. I don't want to be pregnant underwater, I want to move home and start setting it up for the baby. I just can't be wet right now; I need to be at home,"

"I understand that," he said. "So what does that mean for us?"

"Well," she started. "I don't want to make you choose between me and SeaQuest; it's unfair to both of us. So, I guess it's up to you. You can either stay aboard and be a navy Dad or you can leave and get a job at the UEO or something, I don't know. I just need you to know that I won't be mad if you want to stay aboard, I know this place is your home,"

"Scarlett," grinned Lucas, leaning over and pressing his lips against her cheek. "My home is wherever you and the baby are, that's all that matters right now,"

"But I don't want that, Lucas. I want you to choose whatever makes you happy; I know you'll always come home to us if you choose to stay,"

"Just stop talking," he smiled. "I'll go and see the Captain about it, see if I can do one more tour and then leave the SeaQuest. I don't want our baby to grow up like I did, never knowing when I was going to see my father, resenting him for never being there," Scarlett reached across and squeezed Lucas' hand. "I'm going wherever you are,"

Scarlett couldn't help but let a stray tear fall from her eyes, she was so happy. She had never wanted Lucas to give up on his friends, his substitute family, and his home for her but it had been his decision. She could last one more tour, she could find a new house and start 'nesting' or whatever it was pregnant women were supposed to do when setting up their family. She threw her arms around Lucas and held him tight; her family was finally coming together and she didn't think she could ever be happier.

A few days later, Captain Bridger had handed the crew of their rival submarine over to the UEO for prosecution and had also had strong words with the Ecological Foundation over their treatment of their staff. They had, of course, denied all knowledge of sabotage but there was a clear understanding that the UEO would not look favourably on them if a similar situation arose in the future. Lucas had spoken with the Captain about leaving the SeaQuest, Captain Bridger had reminded him that he was not an official crew member and was free to leave whenever he wanted but also told him that he would be sorely missed if he chose to go. Kyle was finally glad to be out of the makeshift hospital ward and back on dry land, although he wasn't very happy about wearing a suit to the party.

Scarlett couldn't believe how big the conference room was; she had expected a small gathering of people to announce her news to but there seemed to be many people there she had never even met before. Lucas was already mingling with the crowds, talking to everyone and acting as if he had been to a million parties but Scarlett hung back in the corner of the room; occasionally moving forward to speak with people she knew. The SeaQuest crew were all in uniform which made her smile; she didn't think she had ever seen Jonathon out of uniform. He was standing at the buffet table looking incredibly uncomfortable; she walked across the room to him and shook his hand warmly.

"You look as though you'd rather be anywhere else," she smiled, he laughed in agreement.

"We've only just finished our leave, I didn't think we'd be back on land again so soon," he said, popping a hors d'oeuvre into his mouth. "I just prefer being wet,"

"I always thought that about you, you always seem more comfortable in those cramped spaces," she laughed. "Have you seen Miguel or Tim anywhere?"

"No, I don't think they've arrived yet," he said. "Do you know what the big announcement is?"

"Well, yes but I think you should wait. It does you no good to ruin surprises,"

Jonathon smiled as Scarlett disappeared into the crowds looking for Lucas or at least someone else that she knew. The room was beginning to quieten down and Scarlett noticed that Captain Bridger had taken to the stage at the top of the room; he looked different somehow. His dress uniform didn't seem to suit him; he looked uncomfortable in it and was obviously wishing he could have worn his normal uniform along with the rest of the crew. She glanced around quickly and caught sight of Miguel talking to a blonde girl in a sequinned dress out of the corner of her eye; she smiled to herself and walked over, introducing herself and hugging Miguel.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Captain Bridger's voice rang out across the room and everybody turned to face him, their conversations dying mid-sentence as the Captain commanded their attention. "I know a lot of you are wondering why we are having a party so soon after shore leave but we are unfortunately losing one of our crew members next month and I wanted to give him a proper send-off. Where's Lucas Wolenczak?" Lucas blushed furiously as he headed up to join Captain Bridger on the stage amidst the gossiping mumblings of the crowd. He stood beside the Captain and smiled weakly out at the gathered people. "Mr Wolenczak is leaving SeaQuest next month for the best reason I can think of, he is starting a family with respected scientist, Miss Scarlett Rice," Miguel turned to look at her as Bridger's words hung in the air, she grinned sheepishly as his open-mouthed shock turned to a broad smile and he threw his arms around her again, whispering congratulations into her ear. "We don't yet know if it's going to be a boy or a girl but either way, we wish you both the very best in your new lives together," Captain Bridger raised his wine glass and was swiftly followed by everyone else in the room. "To Scarlett and Lucas,"

The room echoed his sentiments and people from every corner rushed to talk to both Lucas and Scarlett about their decisions and their future together. Scarlett smiled politely as she looked out through the crowds to find Lucas; he smiled back at her and she knew that no matter what happened, they were a family.

THE END


End file.
